Summary Plan Description (Revised January 1, 2012)

Claims and Appeals Procedures

Denial of Application or Claim

If your application for benefits (other than disability
retirement benefits) or your claim to a
benefit is denied, in whole or in part, you will
be notified in writing of the denial within 90
days after receipt of your application or claim.
This 90-day period may be extended for up to
90 days if required by special circumstances. If
an extension is required, you will be notified in
writing of such circumstances and the date by
which a final decision is expected to be rendered
before the end of the initial 90-day period.

If your application for disability retirement
benefits is denied, in whole or in part, you will
be notified in writing of the denial within 45
days after receipt of your application. This 45-
day period may be extended for up to 30 days
(to a total of 75 days) if the plan determines
that an extension of time for making the determination
is necessary due to matters beyond
the control of the plan, and notifies you prior
to the expiration of the initial 45-day period of
the circumstances requiring the extension of
time and the date by which the plan expects to
render a decision. If the plan determines that
an additional extension of time for making the
benefit determination is necessary due to matters
beyond the control of the plan, and notifies
you prior to the expiration of the first 30-day
extension period of the circumstances requiring
the extension of time and the date by which
the plan expects to render a decision, then the
period for making a benefit determination may
be extended by the plan for an additional 30
days (to a total of 105 days). If an extension is
necessary due to your failure to submit information
necessary to process the application, the
notification of the extension will describe the
necessary information, and you will be provided
at least 45 days from receipt of the notification
to submit the additional information.
The period for making a determination will be
tolled from the date on which the notification
of the extension is sent to you until the date on
which you respond to the request for additional
information. If an extension is necessary, the
notification of the extension will specifically
provide:

An explanation of the standards on which
entitlement to a benefit is based.

The unresolved issues that prevent a decision
on the application.

The additional information needed to resolve
the issues.

If your application or claim is denied, you will
be notified in writing of the following:

The specific reasons for the denial.

Specific reference to pertinent plan provisions
on which the denial is based.

A description of any additional material or
information necessary for you to perfect your
application or claim and an explanation of
why such material or information is necessary.

An explanation of the plan's application and
claim review procedure, including a statement
of your right to bring a civil action
under ERISA § 502(a).

With a denial for disability retirement benefits,
if an internal rule, guideline, protocol,
or other similar criterion was relied upon in
making the adverse determination, either the
specific rule, guideline, protocol, or other similar criterion, or a statement that such
a rule, guideline, protocol, or other similar
criterion was relied upon in making the determination
and that a copy of the same will be
provided free of charge to you upon request.

Request For Appeal

If your application or claim is denied, you have
the right to appeal to the Board of Trustees for a
review of the denial. This review is known as an
appeal. The notice of appeal must be in writing
and should contain the information described in
Notice of Appeal to Trustees as well as the following information:

A statement as to each ground on which you
believe the decision or other action appealed
from to have been in error.

A list of the names and addresses of each
person on whose testimony you will rely, in
whole or in part, in support of the appeal,
together with a short statement of the facts to
which each person is expected to testify.

A list of each document on which you will
rely in support of your appeal.

You must make this request in writing to the
Board of Trustees at Carpenters Trusts within 60
days after you are notified of the denial of your
application or claim. With disability retirement
benefit appeals, you must make this request in
writing within 180 days after you are notified
of the denial of your application or claim. The
failure to file a written appeal within the time
period described above will bar your right to appeal
and the application or claim decision will
be final.

Scheduling An Appeal

Upon receipt of a timely-filed appeal, the Trustees
will set a date for your hearing, if requested.

The appeal will be conducted by the Board of
Trustees or by the Appeals Committee of the
Board of Trustees, which has been given the
authority for making a final decision in connection
with the appeal.

The Trustees will review a properly filed appeal
at the next regularly scheduled quarterly
meeting of the Appeals Committee, unless the
request for review is received by the Trustees
within 30 days preceding the date of such meeting.
In such case, the appeal will be reviewed
no later than the date of the second quarterly
meeting following the Trustees' receipt of the
notice of appeal, unless there are special circumstances
requiring a further extension of time,
in which case a benefit determination will be
rendered not later than the third quarterly meeting
of the Appeals Committee following the
Trustees' receipt of the notice of appeal. If such
an extension of time for review is required because
of special circumstances, such as a request
for a hearing on the appeal, then prior to the
commencement of the extension, the plan will
notify you in writing of the extension, describe
the special circumstances and the date as of
which the benefit determination will be made.

Appeal Procedures

You are entitled to present your position and
any evidence in support thereof, and may appear
in person at the appeal hearing. You may
be represented by an attorney or by any other
representative of your choosing at your own
expense. You may submit written comments,
documents, records, and other information
relating to your appeal. You will be provided
upon request and free of charge, reasonable
access to, and copies of, all documents, records
and other information relevant to your appeal.

You must introduce sufficient credible evidence
on appeal to establish, prima facie, entitlement
to the relief from the decision or other action
from which the appeal is taken. You will have
the burden of proving your right to relief from
the decision or action appealed, by a preponderance
of evidence. The Trustees will review
all comments, documents, records and other
information submitted by you related to the
appeal, regardless of whether such information
was submitted or considered in the initial benefit
determination. The Trustees will not afford
deference to the initial adverse benefit determination.

When deciding an appeal of a denial for disability
retirement benefits that is based in whole or
in part on a medical judgment, the Trustees will
consult with a health care professional who has
appropriate training and experience in the field
of medicine involved in the medical judgment.
Any medical or vocational expert whose advice
was obtained on behalf of the plan in connection
with the adverse benefit determination will
be identified to you upon request. Any health
care professional engaged for the purpose of a
consultation will not be an individual who was
consulted in connection with the initial adverse
benefit determination that is the subject of the
appeal, nor the subordinate of any such individual.

Decision of Trustees

The Trustees will issue a written decision on
review as soon as possible, but not later than
five days after the determination is made. The
decision will include:

The specific reasons for the decision.

Specific references to pertinent plan provisions
on which the denial is based.

A statement that you are entitled to receive,
upon request and free of charge, reasonable
access to, and copies of all documents,
records, and other information relevant to
your appeal.

In the case of a denial of disability retirement
benefits, a statement of your right to bring a
civil action under ERISA § 502(a).

In the case of a denial of disability retirement
benefits, if an internal rule, guideline, protocol,
or other similar criterion was relied upon
in making the adverse determination, either
the specific rule, guideline, protocol, or other
similar criterion, or a statement that such
a rule, guideline, protocol, or other similar
criterion was relied upon in making the determination
and that a copy of the same will be
provided free of charge to you upon request.

In deciding appeals, the Trustees have the
discretionary authority and the exclusive right
to construe and interpret the provisions of the
plan, and to determine any and all questions
arising thereunder or in connection with the
administation thereof including the right to
remedy possible ambiguities and inconsistencies
or omissions. Any such construction or determination
by the Trustees made in good faith shall
be conclusive on all persons affected thereby.

Following issuance of a written decision of the
Trustees on an appeal for disability retirement
benefits, there is no further right of appeal to
the Trustees or right to arbitration. Instead, you
may bring a civil action under ERISA § 502(a).

Arbitration

If you are dissatisfied with the written decision
of the Trustees (other than a decision on a denial
of disability retirement benefits), you may request a further appeal by arbitration in accordance
with the Employee Benefit Plan Claims
Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration
Association. Your request must be made in
writing within 60 days of receipt of the Trustees'
written decision. Failure to initiate arbitration
timely will bar any further consideration of the
appeal. If requested, the administrator will assist
you in preparing the request for arbitration.
If the matter is submitted to arbitration, the
appeal will be limited to a transcript of witness
testimony, the exhibits and the Findings and
Decision of the Trustees (or Appeals Committee
of the Trustees). The arbitrator will not have
the power or authority to add to, subtract from,
or in any way modify the plan, the Trust Agreement,
insurance contracts, if any, or the rules
and regulations of the Trust. The question for
consideration by the arbitrator will be whether,
in the particular instance:

The Trustees were in error upon an issue of
law.

The Trustees acted arbitrarily or capriciously
in the exercise of their discretion.

The Trustee's findings were supported by
substantial evidence.

The expense of arbitration will be borne equally
by you and the Trust unless otherwise ordered
by the arbitrator. Each party is responsible for its
own attorney fees. The decision of the arbitrator
is final and binding on all parties, and judgment
upon the award may be entered in any Court
having jurisdiction thereof. You must exhaust
your remedies under the forgoing procedures as
a condition precedent to the commencement of
any suit.

For additional information about the appeals
procedure, please see Article 10.3.